Lancashire County Council staff on six figure wage

Lancashire County Council pays the largest number of six-figure wages of any council in the North West, new figures reveal.

The data from the Taxpayers’ Alliance shows that Lancashire – the third largest authority in the country – had 32 employees earning a six-figure sum in 2015/16.

No council in the North West had more. But bosses at County Hall said today that the figures included pay-outs for those leaving the council.

Deborah Barrow, head of human resources for Lancashire County Council, said there had been a ‘significant transformation’ at the council as part of efforts to cut costs.

She added: “As part of this process, some staff have left the council and therefore some of these figures include their redundancy payments.”

In Wyre, the Corporate Director of Places and People was listed as earning £350,920 a year and in West Lancashire, the Managing Director of People and Places’ salary was £386,116 - putting them both among the highest 25 earners across England and Wales.

The highest paid person in the North West region was David McElhinney, the CEO of Liverpool Direct, who took home £461,823 a year.

The biggest earning local government employee in all of England and Wales was listed as Dave Smith, chief executive of Sunderland Council, who was paid £625,570.

A total of 2,314 officials earned £100,000 or more in 2015-16 - up 89 on the previous year.